Mavericks facing make-or-break home stretch

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Stan Olszewski/Staff Photographer

The opening 41 games of the 2012-13 season will be remembered as some of the bleakest in the post-‘90s franchise history.Doesn’t mean the season is a goner. A revival started in early January when Dirk Nowitzki got a little more Dirk-like and the Mavericks have won five of their last six to become relevant again in the playoff race.With no games between Sunday and Friday, this is an excellent spot in the schedule to examine what each player has done so far this season. As always in our ratings – and we’re doing this pass/fail – the determination is based on production vs. what was reasonably expected from each individual.

Home stretch before, after All-Star break could decide Mavs’ fate

That four-game road trip was supposed to be the big show of force, and the Mavericks went 1-3.

Now, they start a five-game homestand, and seven of their next eight games stretching past the All-Star break are at American Airlines Center.

And guess what? After that, they have seven of eight on the road.

Raise your hand if you get a whole lot more juiced up about inventing trade scenarios right now than dreaming of a first-round playoff experience.

The time has come to understand that there have been too many failures to have much faith in this team. Even a manly show of strength at home probably isn’t enough to save the Mavericks’ season, which sits at 20-28 with 34 games to play.

A mountain of close, tough losses can make the Mavericks feel like they’re on the verge of being playoff-worthy. But the fact of the matter is those still count as losses. There is no room for explanations in the standings.

A moment later, he added: “If you’re feeling good, there’s a chance you’ll have a letdown.”

If that’s the case, the Mavericks should have no concerns about a letdown because there’s no way they can be feeling very good about their basketball lives right now.

Give Carlisle and his team kudos for keeping their heads where they’re supposed to be. This team still feels like it has played well enough to be several pegs up the standings. And the 5 1/2 games they trail eighth-place Houston by right now doesn’t seem insurmountable.

Then again, when you consider that they are only five games from the Western Conference cellar-dwelling Hornets, that sort of puts it in perspective.

Clearly, the odds are stacked against them.

“It’s pretty much a must-week for us,” said O.J. Mayo. “Obviously, having some home games right before the All-Star break is a great opportunity for us to get some wins, just protect our home court.”

At this rate, the only intriguing part of the Mavericks’ run to the All-Star break is whether anything heats up on the trade front.

Trade rumors have been hard to come by. That doesn’t mean the Mavericks aren’t out there working. But this is a posturing period for all teams.

In 10 days or so, things will get hot and heavy.

So here are the options the Mavericks will have:

Stand pat, keep Shawn Marion, Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki as the nucleus that could get Dwight Howard’s attention in free agency this summer.

Roll the dice on a deal that doesn’t include a marquee star and hope to squeeze into the playoffs this season, where a quick exit is likely.

That’s about it.

The Mavericks are not going to compromise their cap space this summer. Howard, the LA Lakers’ center who by no means is problem-free, remains at the top of the wish list.

And if you put him with those players listed above and, perhaps, Mayo and/or Darren Collison, that’s a team that could be intriguing moving forward.

Of course, if the Mavericks lose further touch with .500 in the next 10 days at home, then all bets are off. The more they fall out of relevance, the greater their likelihood of making something — anything — happen.

The bottom line, however, is there just doesn’t seem like there is any deal out there that can be made before the Feb. 21 deadline that will make a significant impact this season.

Unless, of course, somebody out there gets stupid.

Not that that’s ever happened before, right?

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Incriminating numbers

How the Mavericks have gotten themselves in a position where they can’t afford to go much less than 7-1 while playing seven of the next eight games at home, bridging the All-Star break.

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